THE ZIBBY GARNETT TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP

Traditional restoration of the 1000-year-old Malakartse Stupa – Zangla, Ladakh,

India

Report by Hannah Winn

Fresco painting conservation

Malakatza Stupa, Zangla – Zanskar Province- Ladakh Northern India

13th July – 25th September 2017

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Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………pg 3-4

Study trip information……………………………………… .pg 4-6

Journey to Zangla……………………………………………. pg 7-10

Living Arrangements………………………………………… pg 11

Accessing the Malakartse Stupa……………………………. pg 12-16

Clients Brief…………….…………………………..…………pg 17

Conservation work…………………………………………….pg 17-20

After the project……………………………………………… pg 21-25

Conclusion…………………………………………………….. pg 25-27

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Personal Introduction

My name is Hannah Winn and I am a British 24 year old recent graduate in

Conservation Studies from City and Guilds of London Art School, a three year

degree course that specialises in stone, stone related materials, wood and

decorated surfaces as well as painted surfaces. The course covers material

science, chemistry, conservation ethics, history of art and practical conservation

skills. I wanted to gain practical experience that would help further my career in

the cultural conservation of architectural surfaces.

The Himalayan region fascinates me because of its ancient cultural traditions and

religion, its inaccessibility, the incredible vast sweeping landscapes, and the

changing political and social landscape. I wanted to understand how and to what

extent the conservation of the cultural heritage in this region could influence its

future, and to what extent the locals would embrace the change and to what

extent they would reject it. I wanted to understand how they would approach the

conservation issues, and how this might be in contrast to my own taught western

methodologies.

One aspect of my degree course involved painted and gilded surface and the

study of pigments. I became drawn to frescos during my first year, when we

were taught a module of fresco techniques, but I wanted to gain more experience

of this in a real world scenario. The project therefore was an amazing

opportunity to work in a country and environment that was in complete contrast

to my own, and learn more about the different materials involved with restoration

in this remotest of locations.

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I learnt of the Zibby Garnett fund through my university, where in the past

students have applied for the Zibby Garnett travel fund to help fund their

involvement in conservation projects around the world.

Study Trip Introduction

I travelled to Zangla, an extremely remote village at the end of the Zanskar

valley in Ladakh, Northern India. Zangla is 3600 meters above sea level and is

home to around 100 families. Their traditional social structure is under strain

from the encroachment of western consumerism and growing interaction with

non-Buddhist people from the region and further afield.

Ladakh lies in the heart of the Indian Himalayas,

close to the borders with Pakistan and China,

and has been described as “The Last Shangri-

La”. It is famous for its beautiful monasteries

that appear as whitewashed monuments in the

otherwise brown and rocky landscape.

Fig 1. Team photo

Fig 2. Map

showing

where Ladakh

is situated

within the

region of

Jammu and

Kashmir

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My work focused on the conservation of wall paintings inside the Malakartse

Stupa, a 1000-year-old Stupa whose interior is composed of beautiful frescos.

The Stupa literally hangs off the edge of a steep mountain. The project was both

practical and theoretical, and covered both the art history (iconography) of the

Stupa, condition reporting, as well as learning how to utilise materials from the

surrounding area for conservation purposes. All the conservation practices were

traditional and have been practised for over 1000 years. Ladakh is very high

altitude and the winter is extremely cold, so we tried to use locally available

materials, which are known to be suited to the harsh climate.

This project was part of a wider development program in Zangla run by Csoma

Room Foundation, a Hungarian NGO. Csoma Room Foundation is named after

Alexander Csoma, a 19th century pioneer of linguistics, who travelled throughout

Ladakh in search of the roots of the Hungarian people in central Asia. Csoma

authored the first English Ladakhi dictionary and grammar and he is recognised

in Ladakh for his contribution to the region’s recent history. Csoma Room

Figure 3. Zangla at

night

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Foundaton started work in Zangla in 2008 with restoration of the badly damaged

16th century Zangla palace, and has since carried out other work to support the

local community, including building a school.

Itinerary

Location

Dates

Delhi

13th-15th July

Leh 15th – 18th July

Zangla 19th July- 12h September

Leh

12st - 15th September

Tur Tuk (Nubra Valley)

15th- 18th September

Leh

18th – 20th September

Pangong lake

20th – 22nd September

Leh 22nd -23rd September

Delhi 24th September

London 25th September

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Journey to Zangla

I arrived in Delhi on the 13th July, where I stayed with an Indian conservator and

her family who I had met when working at the National Museum in 2016. I spent

3 days exploring museums, temples and markets, and had the rare privilege of

celebrating the first birthday of their son Ayaan, where Indian cuisine was

somewhat forcefully given to us as we struggled through a 10-course meal!

On the fourth day I got a very early flight from Delhi to Leh, the main town in

Ladakh, where I rested for a couple of days to adjust to the high altitude. The

flight into Leh crossing the snow-capped Himalayan peaks was memorable, but

the road journey from Leh to Zangla was epic by any standard! With roads that

open up for only a few months a year and are frequently blocked by landslides,

these 470kms tested me, at times scared me and left me spellbound.

Fig 4. Celebrating

Aayan’s 1st birthday

party

Fig 5. The view flying

into Leh airport

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A couple of hours after departing Leh in a local shared jeep, civilisation

vanished. The road crossed Tanglang la, one of the highest mountain passes in

the world at over 5300 meters. The view at the top was spectacular. The entire

pass was laid out before us. We were level with the snow-clad peaks surrounding

us and colourful prayer flags were strung around. The road sign proudly

announced that we were indeed at the highest point of our journey to Zangla. We

felt on top of the world!

Fig 6. Traffic jam at 4876.8

meters

Fig 7. Road hazard- a

traditional Pakistani

lorry on its way to Kargil

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After a 10-hour drive, we reached Kargil, the Islamic capital of Ladakh, in order

to rest for the night in a homestay and refuel. Kargil is a very conservative town

and photography was forbidden. Despite covering ourselves and even our eyes,

we appeared to attract quite a lot of attention!

We woke early for the 12 hour drive to Zangla as it was important to reach

various river fords before the temperature and snow melt raised their levels.

After Kargil the roads turned from metalled to dirt and the journey became

Fig 9. The last stretch of

concrete road, before the

Zanskar valley.

Fig 8. Kargil from above

Fig 10. A typical

hilarious road sign on

our way to the Zanskar

valley

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increasingly bumpy. The views remained extraordinary and we kept ourselves

amused on this long journey by the road signs, such as this, which are

commonplace in Ladakh.

Living

Arrangements

Fig 11. Waking up before

sunset ready to set off on our

next stretch of our journey

Fig 12. A stop in the

Zanskar valley.

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For the majority of the placement I lived with a host family, alongside a few of

the other interns. We were very fortunate with our hosts, who were most

welcoming and accommodating. When we were working onsite for longer than a

day, we would camp out in an abandoned cave close to the Stupa, as a return

walk from the village to the Stupa would take almost a day.

Accessing the Stupa

Fig 13. Our host parents and other interns who I lived with in Zangla

Fig 14. Photograph of the cave in relation to the stupa

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The Stupa is situated approximately 20 miles from Zangla village and at an

altitude of approximately 6004.56 meters reaching

the Stupa involved a tough and challenging 6-hour

adventure. This included walking along a narrow

irrigation channel dug into the side of a cliff with

a sheer 200 meters drop on one side; fording

several ice-cold and fast flowing glacial rivers;

and a four hour uphill climb on poorly maintained

and crumbly paths. One can only be astonished by

how the ancients managed to create this Stupa in

the harshest of terrains.

Fig 15. Photo of the Stupa

situated on the edge of the

sheer mountainous edge,

the Stupa was the only flat

space for at least 2 hours

either up or down

Fig 16. The stupa situated

on the edge of a cliff face

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Fig 17. Walking along the canal

Fig 18. A difficult section of the canal, where

you must bend over or go on all fours to

continue along it

Fig 19.

Climbing the

cliff face to

reach the

stupa.

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Malakartse Stupa: Condition

The Stupa was built in approximately the 11th century close to the King’s

original fort (now largely eroded, and details faded) and was used as a strategic

defence for Zangla. From the outside it has four discernible levels – the base, two

middle sections and the roof cone. It is made from clay and stone on the outside

and is divided by the use of flat stones – however the original shape is unknown.

It has one open

(uncovered) entrance

and a repeated relief

design around the top

edge of the base, with

very fine detail. This

is an artistic relief

and not simply a

geometric one.

Inside, the surviving decorative surfaces/frescos can be assumed to have been

made by artisans from Kashmir, which was originally Buddhist before it was

conquered by the influx of Muslim Sufis preachers from Central Asia and Persia,

beginning in the early14th century. This is found in the unusual iconography,

particularly noticeable with the imagery of ducks in the upper corners, something

that is certainly not Ladakhi! The motifs were also predominantly of women,

Fig 20. A

photograph of

the original

fort

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suggesting that the Stupa was designed to commemorate a woman rather than a

man, something which is rarely seen in Kashmiri style wall paintings. It is likely

therefore that the woman being celebrated on the walls was a Queen or the wife

of a King, who was considered important enough to be celebrated in this way

after her death.

Due to the Stupa’s ancient frescos and its originality, as well as it importance to

the heritage of Zangla, the Csoma Room Foundation is committed to conserving

it, despite it being infrequently visited and not currently used for religious

purposes.

The Stupa itself has been deserted for many

generations and has been quite severely

damaged: its roof is partially collapsed and

dust and moisture have penetrated the inside,

causing deterioration of the walls and murals.

Fig 21. A section of

the wall paintings

inside the stupa

Fig 22. A wider angled view of a

section of wall paintings inside the

stupa

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Above the entrance is a small hole and the ceiling is in poor condition. Almost

two thirds of the inner structures of the roof stones have fallen in and the ground

has a thick layer of dust. There are large cracks on the sides and middle walls

that emphasise the potential for future structural failure. And there is no lintel

above the entrance, so this has again resulted in structural problems.

One of the walls is missing a statue (no other statues appear to have once been

present) and has holes left behind from when it was forcibly removed. This is the

only wall where a sculpture once belonged.

Client Brief

The client was the current King of Zangla named King Gyalses Nima Norbu

Namgyal Ladey who is 87 years old and who we met for tea and Hungarian

snacks. He is a very traditional Buddhist man with a proud bearing and loud and

projecting voice. The King has three wives, two sons and three daughters. He

told us that he was no longer able to reach the Stupa as the walk was too difficult

in his old age, but he wanted the Stupa restored to as close as possible to its

Fig 23. A view

of the entrance

to the Stupa

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original condition. Most importantly, he wanted the iconography to be repaired,

as it is these colourful motifs and symbols that are essential that are essential that

are essential to the building’s future religious function.

Malakartse Stupa: Conservation

The project involved reconstructing the broken roof and floor, stabilizing the

wall structure and conserving the particularly important wall paintings that cover

all the four walls of the Stupa inside.

The first task was to repair the roof, which was done using kalak (a clay-like

substance that is locally sourced) and flat stones in-between the layers for extra

re-enforcement. It is essential for the longevity of the Stupa that the architectural

structure should be maintained and we therefore developed a plan to ensure the

fabric of the building is monitored and reinforced by Csoma Room Foundation in

future years.

Fig 24. My first

tea with a king!

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We then turned our attention to the interior of the structure. We compiled a

condition report on the interior (as well as exterior) of the building and of all the

wall paintings. This included taking photos and making drawings of all the

figures and motifs, to ensure a permanent historical record of them in their

current conditions. Drawings were executed using tracing and transfer paper.

We then carried out work to consolidate some of the paintings with the worst

damage, in particular by filling holes and cracks with kalak in order to stabilise

the walls and prevent further deterioration. Finally, we restored some of the

colours on the key figures using traditional materials, as well as the black borders

around them. The following process was used:

1) Apply a smooth layer of kalak, adding hay as an organic reinforcement

2) A plaster-like whitewash comprising animal glue and white pigment.

3) Initial under-drawings using a thin brush approximately 1mm-2mm and a

red pigment to transfer the design.

4) Paint the blue background with possible missing patterns (halo, clothes

etc).

5) Using a dark ochre, start to create the shading of the figures and outline

them using a very thin brush. Use this black to outline circles and hair

and the thick lines of the borders and shapes. Use these dark colours on

the background as well (colour gradation).

In comparison the Kalak was easier to prepare than any alternative Western material or

technique, as the Kalak could be easily made from found raw materials found near to the

Stupa, and could be simply mixed and prepared also using basic materials from close by.

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This saved a lot of energy not having to carry all the materials along this extreme climb.

Having the materials at such a close proximity also ensured there was almost limitless

quantities that could be used at any time which in comparison to any Western materials

would have had to of been brought in would be far more limiting in comparison. It was a

simple and effective technique that had been used for hundreds of years and matched the

original scheme and methodology.

Fig 25. An example of

the transfer drawings

taken

Fig 26. Revealing

and repainting a

figure.

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Further restoration work on the murals will be continued in 2018 by the

Courtauld Institute, which is interested in the Stupa due to its provenance and

history. It will use our initial assessments and material analysis in order to build

on the initial conservation measures we applied.

After some scepticism from local people about the value of devoting time and

money to the restoration of the Stupa, we were encouraged by the local response

to our project. By the end of our stay, the villagers seemed much more positive

about the restoration work and the farmers who work in the direction of the

Stupa were pleased as they felt this could be a sanctuary for them to pray and if

they needed to stay in the mountains for a period of days.

Fig 27. The samples taken

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After the Project

After the placement I allowed myself around two and a half weeks to travel and

explore Ladakh further

It took a few days back in Leh for us to sort out the difficult bureaucracy of

getting passes to travel further afield, and arrange buses and a tent. In Leh we

visited some of the closer large monasteries, as well as waiting for the Internet to

work so we could contact our families!

Fig 28. A huge

carved 10th century

Buddha carved into

the side of a

mountain, where a

temple resides

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I was fortunate enough to see Ladakh from both an Islamic and Buddhist

perspective. After our stay with a Buddhist family in Zangla, we were able to

secure passes to visit Tur Tuk, a picturesque village in the Nubra valley close to

the border with Pakistan and surrounded by the Sampa fields. The village was a

part of Pakistan before it was won over by the India during the Indian/ Pakistani

war. The village still has a Pakistani feel, and many buildings are constructed

with gerry cans left over from the war. There were also large gravesites, where

gerry cans have been used as gravestones to commemorate Indians and

Pakistanis who lost their lives in the war.

Fig 29. Enjoying some jaw dropping scenery in Tur Tuk , looking towards the Pakistani mountains

Fig 30. Sweeping

white fields of sampa

in Tur Tuk

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As well as visitng Tur Tuk we were lucky enough to secure passes to travel in

the opposite direction, towards China and visit the huge Pangong Lake, which

stretches across the border of India and China. We camped there and experienced

running along side the wild horses. We met a yak farmer who gave us tea and

watched the sun set over the huge lake.

Fig 31. A local mosque in Tur- Tuk

Fig 32. Enjoying the views of Pangong Lake

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Fig 33. Enormous Pangong Lake

Fig 34. The Yak herder we met

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Towards the end of our stay we were able to experience some more modern

Ladakhi culture, such as watching the Ladakhi marathon (the highest marathon

in the world) and the Ladakhi festival, a celebration of all things Ladakhi where

the school children and locals dressed in traditional costume to celebrate Ladakh

and its hopes for the future.

Conclusion

I discovered many new experiences in Ladakh and found the trip both

challenging and rewarding.

I learned a lot about the local culture and artistic heritage, and I came away in

awe of the resourcefulness and toughness of the original artisans who built the

Stupa. I improved my knowledge of traditional processes and materials used in

the construction of the Stupa and similar structures of that era in Ladakh, and the

samples we took back to Europe for analysis should further add to that

Fig 35. Running alongside the wild horses!

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knowledge, which will be vital in ensuring that future restoration work is

appropriate and sympathetic.

I came away with a better understanding of the effects of climate change on

vulnerable heritage buildings in that part of the world. Global warming is having

a significant effect on the longevity of Himalayan monasteries and Stupas due to

the increasingly extreme cycles of hot and cold, with heavier flash floods in the

summer. Neither the monasteries are designed to withstand this, nor the

Ladakhi’s culture and government prepared for these rapid changes. The

government do not have the money to pay to adapt to these changes and are

relying on the Chinese to build the region’s infrastructure, which is reflected in

the influx of Chinese style architecture and the use of modern and synthetic

materials in new monasteries being built.

I also returned with a deeper insight into Buddhist views on conservation. I

quickly learned that colour and form were very important aspects of their

religious art and it was most important to them that this be conserved. It was not

necessarily important who executed or maintained the artwork, so long as it was

historically accurate and the result was a recognizable figure from the sutras.

On a personal level, my time in Ladakh improved my self-confidence and leaves

me positive about pursuing a career in conservation of cultural heritage. As

someone with Aspergers Syndrome, the challenges of travelling to and staying in

a remote community such as Zangla were significant, but I felt that I performed

my role well, that I interacted and cooperated with the rest of the team

effectively, and that together we made an important contribution to the

conservation of this ancient and important building.

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Cost of Trip

I worked in Zangla for a total of six weeks,and then travelled to Pangong Lake

and Nubra Valley before returning home on 25th September. The total cost of the

trip was approximately £1,700. I was awarded £1000 by ZGTF. The rest of the

money was raised by part time work as a waitress and babysitter.